Allusive Visitors
by pinksugarrush
Summary: He thought they were fake.He hadn't seen them since he was a child. He got in trouble when he talked about them so he pretended that they weren't there.Years later, Kyo starts having strange dreams and realizes the ability that he tried to suppress as a child is back. He can see them again.The ghosts are back and they are taunting him.Why? They dont like the Sohmas' past.
1. Chapter 1 Triggered

Disclaimer- I do not own Fruits Basket, Natsuki Takaya does. Enjoy!

Chapter 1. Triggered

Kyo gasped, feeling slightly nauseated, as he sat up. His eyes adjusted to the darkness as he realized that he was in his room. Sheets were gripped harder within his grasp as he recalled the dream, no, the nightmare. He had seen his father earlier today when he had bolted out of the house that morning after losing another fight to the damn rat. Usually Kyo would sulk on the roof or traipse around the woods for hours until he deemed it fit that he was in a somewhat threshold of calm before sneaking back into his room but today he had felt oddly adventurous. Going with his gut, he had left and walked straight out of the woods until he reached the city.

After hours of roaming around while trying to ignore all the ogling girls which he found was not too hard, he had found himself composed and sleepy. He was ready to go back to what he dreaded to call home but was stopped in his track when he had seen him.

His father was sitting on a bench outside a grocery store, his legs crossed and tapping against the sidewalk inconsistently. His hair was slicked back nicely, going well with the suit that clung to his frame perfectly. A slight gleam from the man's right wrist showed evidence of a pricey watch. Kyo felt his heart contract painfully in his chest and without even knowing he had taken a few steps toward an ally, obscuring his figure in whole.

Kyo stared at his father, feeling nostalgic. His father checked his watch and something akin to a frown laced itself across his face. Kyo inwardly flinched from his position. Even from this distance, his father's presence scared him. He remembered the beating, the yelling, and the rejection; it came crashing forth, leaving him inevitably numb. An older man came out of the store bracing groceries bag with slight trouble. If his father had seen the older man's trouble, he made no attempt to ease it. Kyo quickly concluded that the elderly man must work for the Sohma estate, his father's personal assistant, he presumed. His father got up with a huff and dusted off his clothes from nonexistent dust before shooting the older man a curse before departing, the older man quickly following albeit reluctantly. And that was it. That was all Kyo saw of his father, but just that immediate sight of his father and the horrifying memories had his legs feeling shaky.

He vaguely recalled the journey back to Shigure's place but, if his memory served him right, he had bent over and hurled into a trashcan in a desolate alleyway. He remembered being confused after he threw up, knowing that he hadn't ate that morning – his fight with Yuki erupted before he could that morning. He quickly dismissed it, believing that he had just thrown up last night's dinner. By the time he had got home, Tohru was already away at work thus leaving him with his oh so two favorite cousins.

He remembered his entrance being quiet and even Yuki seemed somewhat surprised when he saw Kyo standing at the threshold of the kitchen door. But Yuki quickly recovered from his surprise and threw a snarky comment at the cat which the said cat all but thoroughly ignored. The silence that greeted them shocked not only Yuki but Shigure who was sitting next to the table, moaning earlier about the how the world was against him by destroying his well-earned house. Shigure's monologue was stopped short as he watched Kyo cross the kitchen slowly and grabbed a cup before filling it with milk. He frowned, placing the manuscript that he was reading earlier down, and continued to stare at Kyo from the brim of his glasses.

Everybody in the Sohma household knew that Kyo was notorious for his temper and had a sharp tongue to match it but he was oddly docile today. On closer inspection, he looked slightly pale. Maybe he should call Hatori tomorrow? Something flickered in Yuki's eyes as he too felt slightly unnerved be Kyo's sudden quiet nature. Had he hit him too hard during their fight this morning? Or had all the smashing and hitting finally piled up and snapped the cat's spirit? Yuki quickly shook his head, ridding himself of suck inane thoughts. The cat was too strong to let a couple of whacks get him down, he always got up. Always.

"What's with you, Cat?" Yuki snapped, crossing his arm. Shigure leaned in, feeling worried but finding his interest peaked.

Kyo made no indication that he heard Yuki's question nor did he make a suggestion that he was even aware of the other two occupants in the room. He emptied his drink, washed it, placed it back into the cupboard before silently walking out of the room and trudging up the stairs. Yuki had almost taken a couple of steps after the Cat but had caught himself at the last moment of hesitance. They heard the soft click of a door. Yuki tried to school in his sudden worry for his suddenly passive cousin before turning to Shigure, who, first once, was not grinning like an idiot or acting perverted.

"What's wrong with the stupid Cat?" Yuki asked, trying to add malice in the name, but falling quite short of it which did not go unnoticed by his older cousin.

"I don't know," Shigure got up from his seat, picking up his manuscript as well. Then his solemn face was no more, quickly being replaced with a silly grin even his walk had a sudden bounce. His swift change in demeanor was admirable. "But I'm sure our little Kyo will be up and back on his feet by tomorrow! Or until our Little Flower gets home and cheers him up!"

Yuki was too entangled too reprimand Shigure for the pet name and just nodded at his cousin's words. He hoped what Shigure said was true.

* * *

When Kyo had clicked his door shut, he had promptly slouched into his bed. The overwhelming sense of tiredness came over him, sleep ebbing away the clarity of his mind. The image of his father fading in and out of his mind as he fell into the land of slumber, his hands gripping the sheets tightly. He did not know how long he was asleep until the dream started to bombard him. He saw his mother standing in a white sun dress, humming softly as she sashayed around the kitchen. The dream was so vividly clear that he had almost forgot that he was dreaming. His mother turned and her eyes widen slightly as her eyes landed on him. Could she see him?

"Kyo," she whispered as she placed a hand gently on her bosom. "You frightened me."

'You are always frightened of me because I'm a monster.' Kyo was slightly taken back from the childish voice. He found himself turning, trying to find the source of it but came back blank. Then he realized that the voice sounded like him but only younger. It seems this dream is allowing him to hear his thoughts and see through his younger self's eyes. How odd…he never had a dream like this before.

"I'm sorry." A little voice replied out loud. His mother smiled before sinking to his eye-level and grabbing his hand gently, almost caressing it.

'It's there. It's always there.' The voice echoed in his head again as he felt a spike of anger but it quickly faded to irritation.

Kyo watched through the child's eyes as his mother rolled the sleeves up warily, presenting the black and white beads that he had come to hate and depend on. His mother let out an unbeknownst held breath before turning her eyes back to Kyo, smiling though it did not reach her eyes.

"Are you hungry, Kyo?" She pulled her hands away and started to chop the carrots again. She never touched him more than necessary. She didn't like touching him nor did she like looking at him.

'Who would?' a bitter thought seeped in again. He felt a sudden tug of sadness but it felt almost…secondhand. This was a dream right? It couldn't possibly be a memory. The younger version of him nodded before giving a small vocal answer. Then he felt his younger self move toward the window that looked over the small backyard.

Throughout the years, he and his mother had come to a subtle unspoken agreement. That unspoken agreement of allowing him to look idly out of the window. It seemed that she had become wearier after the incident of Kagura accidentally ripping his beads off. She had confined him. He was rarely let out now days, and when he was allowed he was restrained at her side. She had let him quench his penchants be starring out the windows but even then she seemed wary. Probably frightened that somebody could see her disgusting child through the window and tease her wounds even more by transforming him into some uglier by reaching through the solidified window and pull the beads off. She didn't say much about it, but, even then, he knew that she didn't really approve of him starring out the window. But even though she didn't candidly scold him for it, he kept the privilege bounded, not wanting to abuse it. He never knew when she could possibly cut it off and no longer extend it. So like a good child he only starred out the window for an hour a day maximum, longer if his mother was no present.

As his mother started to hum again, he stared out the window, every now and then recoiling his head back to see the clock. Kyo was starting to become slightly bored at the dream and he found himself wondering why he was dreaming such a thing anyway. Before he could let his musing run even further, he felt his younger self become rigid. He turned back to look through his eyes and he founded himself shaking at the sight that greeted him, but he didn't know why the sight the light girl frightened him so.

A little girl stood in the yard, no older than nine, and she was waving at him. She was bounded in a tight, purple yukata. The fabric that bounded her was obviously heavy and too hot for the current weather. Even though the Sohma were known for their old tradition and archaic building, something seemed slightly off about her. She seemed a bit out of her … century. Her yukata was more elaborate and traditional than the ones you usually see the people who are still trying to keep custom wearing. She took a step closer to the window, the golden brooch in her hair swinging, before she attempted another wave. Little Kyo took a tentative glance to his mother who was too occupied with the cooking to notice the girl's appearance before turning back to her. Weakly, he waved back and tried to manage a small smile. The little girl laughed, and danced around the garden, seemingly content. His younger self leaned in closer, fascinated by her graceful moves, as the chair that he sat upon squeaked slightly from the sudden distribution of weight. The chopping behind him stopped, but he was too immersed to notice.

"Kyo," Kyo startled as he felt his mother's presence behind him. The proximity was slightly frightening. "Who are you waving at?"

Suddenly frightened that his mother would scold him, he dropped his hand and turned back to her. He was about to apologize while hoping profusely that she would not cancel the only shred of happiness that he had. But when he turned back to her, she didn't look angry. She looked earnestly curious. Somewhat mollified by the turn of events, he turned to window again and meekly pointed to where the girl stood through the window.

"That girl," he said uncertainly. She pursued her lips and leaned forward, her hair brushing his shoulder.

"Who?" Kyo was starting to get a feeling why this girl unsettled him so much. He knew that his younger self was still confused for he pointed to where the little girl stood again, moving slightly, hoping his mother could possibly see her. 'Maybe there's a glare…' he heard his younger self think innocently.

"Kyo," his mother started again, sounding slightly panicked, but was covered well with layers of practiced patients. "I don't see anyone. There's no one there."

Little Kyo shook his head adamantly. He tapped his finger against the window for emphasis.

"She's right there! In the purple yukata." Then he paused as he saw another person appear, this time a man. Unlike the little girl, he was not wearing anything fanciful, but his clothes were something his younger self has never seen before. His attire composed of only two colors: white and black. His shirt and pants were white but there was something in the center of the man's shirt that was stained white. "Look, there's another man. He must be her father, Mommy. There's something black on his shirt."

His mother stayed deathly silent.

He squinted, realizing that the black splotch was a word. The man moved closer to the girl, evening out the creases of his shirt with his movement. "Oh," Kyo was finally able to see the word. "It says 'prisoner' on it."

Kyo could feel his mind whirling but this time the feeling was not second hand, no, it was not something that was conjured up from his younger self, he, himself, was breeding it. He understood. The clues, there were so many: their old attire, the girl's antique brooch, the word 'prisoner' on the man's shirt, and his mother's inability to see what he saw. He wanted to wake up from this dream, it was not funny nor was it entertaining. His mother must be aligning the clues as well, but only his younger self did not understand what he was seeing, staying blissfully oblivious. Kyo turned his attention back to the two people in the garden, feeling nauseous. Suddenly, a large gash appeared at the man's side, a spear wound. The little girl had stopped twirling, looking upset as she stared at the man.

"Mommy," Kyo felt excited as he continued to narrate. Misreading his mother's silence as a sign for him to continue on- a sign of acceptance. He paused, frowning at the sight in front of him. "Mommy, his shirt is turning red. Why is it turning red?"

Finally, he turned back to his mother and was surprised to see her looking absolutely horrified. Her face was pale. 'Is she sad because the little girl is crying?'

"Momm-" Kyo made out to grab his mother hand in comfort even though he knew that she would probably not appreciate the act. Then he felt it, a sting of his check and the sound of flesh echoing off against one another. He gasped as he was knocked out of the little chair, the chair clattering down beside him. His mother was sobbing now.

"Oh, god," she wailed. "Why is my child like this? What have I done to deserve this? A monster!" she collapsed to her knees and cried into her arms. He didn't know how long time passed but suddenly his mother had come to her senses. She pulled him as close as she dared without him transforming.

"Kyo, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hit you. You know, Mommy loves you, right?"

He nodded numbly; frightened that she would lash out again if he said something out of line. She pulled away and held his shoulder at bay as if she was frightened that he would collapse into her.

"Kyo, there was nothing there, do you understand? You were seeing things. They don't exist." Her fingers tightened around his shoulders, almost making his wince.

Once again, he nodded.

She pulled back, her hands falling back to her side as she nodded. She gave a few swipes at her eyes before drying her hands off the apron. She stood up and turned off the whistling pot. He glanced back at the window to see the girl was also now drenched in blood but she was still smiling. The man was no longer standing but laying on his stomach, blood pooled around him. He had stopped moving. The girl jumped on the man back and laughed harder as his blood splattered onto her, staining her pale face and yukata.

She stopped jumping on the man's now broken back, it now looked slightly indented, and gave him a smile. The smile that once looked warm suddenly looked frightening and Kyo found his younger self veering back in fright.

But what frightened him more was when he heard her speak. He knew he wasn't able to hear her before.

"Hi, Kyo! Let's be friends. Play with me!" her voice was sickeningly sweet. Blood slipped from her eyes, as if she was crying. Before he could say anything else, he woke up but one word registered in his younger's mind that he, the older version and his mother had already figured out, 'Ghost.'

* * *

A/N : So I really hope you like my first fanfic! I know I'm not that great but I really hope to improve! ^^

And I'm pretty sure there's a lot of grammar mistakes (i really suck when it comes to that) and plus I wrote this at the spur of the moment in about two hours (yes, i know. Slow. Hopefully I'll get faster at writing and coming up with stuff). And it's really late over here. The later it is, the more grammar mistakes I have. Deprived mind, you know? Anyway, so, yes, what Little Kyo was seeing were ghosts! Since he's the cat and all. I really hope this goes well and you guys dont totally hate it.

Anyway, please R&R. No flames pleases.

1/6/2013


	2. Chapter 2 Playground

ALLUSIVE VISITORS

Disclaimer- I do not own Fruits Basket, Natsuki Takaya does. Enjoy!

Thank you all who reviewed, favorite, and alerted. Also, to t-swizzy, I kept your words in mind and tried to make this chapter longer. ^^

Chapter 2: Playground

Kyo tried to calm his erratic breathing as he placed a trembling hand on his temple. His head was still pulsating giving him a sense of vertigo.

"What the hell was that?" Kyo whispered. He dropped his hand from his temple, hoping that he hadn't notified anybody of his nightmare by thrusting about in his sleep. He cringed at the thought of Shigure's profuse teasing if he ever got ahold that mighty Kyo is a victim of childish nightmares. He sighed again, feeling drained. He bit his lips as he realized that his 'dream' was still rich in his mind. In the past, dreams would swim in and out of his mind; one moment they were playing in his mind but the instant he woke up they quickly dispersed from his conscious mind only coming back in little ripple, barely leaving any residues of their presence. But this dream, it was so clear in his recollection that it, to an extent, left Kyo with a sense of apprehension and lost. He felt empty as if a void was open within him. It felt as if it was something more than a dream. Could it possibly be a memory that he had long forgotten? A memory that he pushed into the back of his mind and hoped to remain inaccessible but was somehow activated. But if it really was a remembrance, then that meant he was able to see ghosts as a child. He shook his head, discharging the absurd thought. How he could forget something that important?

"No, it was just a stupid dream." But even as Kyo said those words he felt as if he was deceiving himself. His heart felt straggled by an invisible force. Chills erupted on his forearm and a shiver ran up his spine as the image of the little girl breaking the dead man's back flashed into his mind with alarming lucidity. Who was that dead man? Was he her father? Why would she do something so cruel to her father if he was? Was that how she played? What a cruel child. Hissing, Kyo grabbed his bed sheet closer, pulling them tight across his frame as they pooled around him like a cocoon. He was starting to become aggravated with all this worrying and contemplating on just a mere dream. He tsked, noting to himself that he was acting like Tohru by fretting over something so trivial. He chuckled at the thought of Tohru but it sounded slightly force. Even the thought of Tohru couldn't completely sooth his whirling mind. He couldn't remember the last time a dream had left him so shaken. He found himself slightly yearning for his Shishou. Shishou would always sit him down in his lap and push a cold glass of milk into his young hand while stating that it was a mere nightmare and that everything was going to be all right. Maybe he would visit the man today.

Kyo automatically tensed as he heard the door to his room creak open slowly. Unconsciously, his hands tightened and warped themselves into fist. The door finally swung fully open in trepidation, and Kyo found himself placing his worry wrongly as he processed who stood at the door.

Haru cocked his head slightly in a somewhat feline manner, showing-off a sharp, defined jawline as he stood at the threshold of Kyo's door. He proceeded to close the door before crossing the room in stride and stopping at the crown of the bed. Through it all, Kyo had remained silent which had inevitably struck a spark of curiosity in Haru who knew of his cousin's dislike of people treading into his room without permission which was usually shown through loud strings of curses and damnations. Something was wrong.

Seeing that Haru wasn't doing anything, Kyo decided to test the water first, uncertain if he was still stuck in another idiotic dream.

"Haru, what are you doing here?" There was no underlying sting in his words, no, just wariness.

Frowning slightly, Haru noted Kyo's pale complexion and his glazed eyes. Kyo's guard was up higher than usual and that was unsettling him considering that his presence never seemed to frighten Kyo before. What could have happened to disorient his strong-willed cousin to this extent?

"I came over last night and spent the night." He answered, not really interested with the current topic.

"Last night?" Kyo found himself turning in his seated position toward the draped window. True to his words, there was light seeping through the crevices of the drapes, barely illuminating his room. 'Just how long was I asleep?' He must have slept through last night's dinner then.

Haru watch Kyo with observant eyes, not liking how Kyo seemed so confused and shaking slightly. Contrary to popular ideology, Haru was quite observant. His observant persona was arcane for he did not like showing or even performing it. Observing things can be aesthetic in its own ways but it can also be excruciating especially when you're a part of the Sohma family. Knowing less and seeing less always seemed to be the higher end of the bargain. Without his older cousin's notice, he took a few steps closer and placed a tentative hand on Kyo's forehead. Startled by the contact, Kyo deviated back from the touch, ruffling the sheets in the process.

"What are you doing?" Kyo snapped, his eyes widening slightly as the dream slipped back into his occupied mind. The touch reminded him of the slap he had received even though there was no cruelty in it. But just the movement, the proximity, and the touch were all so unsettling. The sudden movement along with the lingering vertigo from the dream almost caused Kyo to fall off his bed but was thankfully stabilized by Haru's sudden hold on his forearm. Before Kyo could rip his arm out of Haru's vice grip, Haru leaned in, giving Kyo a scrutinizing look.

"Something is wrong with you, Kyo." Haru said seriously as he sat down on the edge of the bed. "But you don't feel warm…Maybe we should call Hatori."

Kyo tugged his arm out of the hold; the feat harder than it should have been. It seems the lack of food and the dream had left him slightly depleted. "I don't need Hatori! What are you talking about, you damn Cow?"

"You're pale, disoriented, and," Haru paused to smile slightly as he pointed toward Kyo's fisted hands. "Tense."

Kyo looked down at his fists' locked position before rigidly smoothing them out. He gave Haru an exasperated sigh before flinging the covers off of him and stood up. "I'm fine, Haru."

The bed bounced slightly from the relieved weight but Haru paid it no heed.

"Aside from being here last night, why were you in my room?" Kyo ran a hand distractedly through his orange hair. To be honest, Kyo was slightly relieved by Haru's presence. It kept him from thinking of other…things.

"Oh, Tohru sent me up here to wake you and Yuki for breakfast." Haru remarked, fully aware of Kyo's sudden change in topic. He didn't like it but he would respect it, for now. Now that he thought about it, he recalled Yuki acting slightly strange when he had asked about Kyo's whereabouts last night. 'He must be worried too.' The thought caused a slight upturn of Haru's lip. Pity, really, he wanted to spar with Kyo today but seeing as he is unwell, well he would have to wait for another time then.

"Let's go then." Kyo turned to the door before pausing and looking over his shoulder at Haru after not hearing any receding steps behind him. Haru was still planted on the bed. "Are you coming? I'm not waking up the damn rat. That's your job."

* * *

A week had passed and everything seemed to have gone back to its mundane routine, at least, as most as possible. There were the occasional black flashes that he had seen in his peripheral vision and the sudden drop in temperature in certain rooms but Kyo quickly threw it off as his paranoia and assured himself, with time even that too will slowly diminish. Surely, within another week, he would be back to scheming a defeat against Yuki and whacking the dog upside the head for his perverseness. With that in mind, he had trudged his way to school with Tohru and Yuki, the two latter making hearty conversations amongst another the whole way. Tohru had more than once tried to string him into the conversation but he found himself too occupied to entertain her. So, for once, he didn't mind that the rat was keeping her engaged. It seemed that the two were more immersed in the conversation at hand than Kyo thought for they did not even notice when Kyo had stopped walking.

A rolling ball at his feet had caught his attention. The ball continued to roll steadily toward him and he watched with slight interest, knowing that he was not on any kind of inclined ground. The ball if he could call it that was slightly beat up and quite old if the side stitching on its side was anything to go by. Hesitantly, Kyo bent down to retrieve the ball and idly wondered where it had come from. After throwing it back and forth testily between his two hands he saw something he would presume to be a zipper. He shrugged, not caring that he was invading someone's privacy as he unzipped the ball. After all, he wasn't Tohru and could care less for boundaries. A foul stench immediately hit his nose as he unzipped the bag. He peered in closer and found, with some annoyance, that he had no idea what that pink gorging thing was. He poked it and was disgusted when his finger came away slick with clear slime.

"Don't poke it too hard. It'll explode if you do."

Kyo prided himself for not jumping but his heart did skip a few beats. He looked up and found little girl half a foot away from him. 'How the hell did she get so close without me noticing?' The little girl's hair was combed back into a nice ponytail but that was the only thing that was presentable about her. Her clothes along with her pale skin were smeared with something akin to what Kyo could only presume as dried mud with a tinge of dirty water or maybe it was soot. He wasn't sure what it was but he could care less, he wasn't her mother.

"What is it?" he found himself asking as he looked at the 'thing' again.

"It's an inflated pig's bladder, of course!" The little girl rocked on the balls of her feet, giving him a funny look. She paused and pointed toward her head. "Are you stupid like Shino?"

"Why the hell is that doing in here?" he screeched as he quickly zipped the leather coating back up, shunning the bladder from his view. Totally overlooking the comment the little girl made about his intelligence.

"What do you mean?" she shifted her ragged dolls in her arm which he noted the only facial features it had were two little, black buttons functioning as eyes. No smile, no frown, just two beady depthless black eyes.

Before he could say something he saw a flash of white to his right. He took a couple of steps back as he sighted another girl but her clothes were different from the previous girl. She wore nothing more than a white cloth that had patches here and there. It almost looked like those horrible makeshift cloths that little children threw upon themselves on Halloween as they proudly declared themselves as acting ghosts. It practically looked like a hospital gown. The only jewelry she wore aside from the silver necklace that hung loosely around her neck were two metal shackles around her wrists. The metal irons were enclosed quiet tightly around her wrist for he could see redden skin peering slightly underneath it. She wore no shoes but she did wear angry scars on her thin, pale legs though most of them were faded wounds of the past. Unlike the previous girl, she held no figurine.

"That's Shino!" Kyo swerved his head back to the previous girl who was bounded more closely to normalcy than the other girl. She laughed as she walked toward Shino and grabbed her arm. "She's stupid."

"Stupid?" Kyo looked back to the insulted girl who in return just gave him a toothy grin where some drool had dribbled between the gaps of her teeth and slipped down, staining her clothes. It didn't take Kyo long to notice the girl's physical deformity – the flat profile, the up slanting of the palpebral fissure, the hypotonia in her eyes, and the whole dysmorphic feature as a collection. The girl, Shino, was mentally retarded. Kyo found his eyes trailing toward the necklace that was barely visible beneath the girl's thin attire. He squinted as he read the words that were engraved into the metal of the necklace: Patient 98107 of the Psychiatric Mental Ward.

"An asylum…" Kyo whispered, slightly dazed. Kyo had never personally met anyone from a psychiatric ward before; some had referred to them as being dangerous but this girl seemed anything but that. The little girl gave Kyo a quizzical look at the mention of the word, possibly not understanding the term. Her mouth was opening, prompted to ask a question, but was halted by the sounds of distant screaming echoing from the far east- near the woods. Kyo immediately straightened, his circumspection riding high on his shoulders.

"Don't worry. Those are just the crazies from the hospital. They scream like babies." She gave a heartfelt laugh as she smoothed out the dress of her ragged doll.

"What's happening to them?"

"Mommy says that she gives them a nice, big shock!" She spread her arms out wide for emphasis. A grin laced itself onto her face, showing off rows of razor sharp teeth. "It's supposed to help them feel better." She paused, tapping a finger steadily against her chin in contemplation. Possibly something she had picked up from the adults around her. Her eyes lit up in remembrance and Kyo found himself wishing that she hadn't found the loose string that she was looking for. "Oh, right! And if that doesn't work, sometimes they stick a shiny rod up their eye and tap their brain a bit to make them feel better!"

Kyo's eyes widened, recognizing the procedure the little girl was talking so lightly about. Weren't lobotomies forbidden in medical practices now? Maybe he was mistaken and she was laying out the technicalities of something that was remotely parallel to the previous horrendous procedure.

The little girl gave Shino's arm a rough tug, pulling her closer to her like a dog on a leash. "Shino got her head tapped too! Now she's all better and she can play with me now."

'Oh, god.' Dry swallowing, he opened his mouth but no words formed on his tongue. There was a distant buzzing in the back of Kyo's mind that he was trying to adamantly ignore, but the longer he stood here, the more persistent it got for his attention. The little girl started to prance around but suddenly she stopped and swerved her head toward the forest. "We have to go, the bell just rang. We have to go back home and get Shino back in her pin."

Remotely, Kyo returned the ball back, even though he had heard no bell sounding. Hands skimming lightly against one another in a deliverance, a sudden chill aroused amongst the giver. Taken by surprised, Kyo quickly pulled back. He eyed the girl and she gave no indication of experiencing any strange phenomenon. He shook it off and played it off as his paranoia acting up again.

She retrieved the ball from Kyo and threw it to Shino who caught it quite awkwardly before shouldering her doll again. Grabbing the other's arm again, they made a few hasty steps from what Kyo could only presume was the trail they came from before halting and retracing their steps back to Kyo. She leaned in toward Kyo and for good measure tugged on the end of his shirt. Compellingly, he leaned in, relinquishing into her small command. In the back of his mind, Kyo was wandering why he was being so nice to this little girl and wondered why he hadn't just given her back her ball and been on his way. Maybe because in her presence, Kyo felt as if his senses had numbed and whenever his eyes casted upon her, he felt a sense of familiarity and nostalgia. She was different than all the other people Kyo had cared to talk to; even different from the members of the zodiac.

"Hey," Her voice quickly took in the tone children would only use when they thought they were trying to be secretive. Her eyes gave a quick sweep of their surrounding before she leaned closer, trying to be discrete as possible. "Please don't tell anyone we've been out this far. We'll get in trouble if you do." She gave Kyo's jacket another tug. "Please."

He nodded. "Sure, kid."

She grinned widely, her smile thanking him, and for once Kyo had almost lost the swirling feeling of oddity around her but it quickly returned as she straightened back up and guided themselves back home. They had already disappeared deep within the foliage of the woods before Kyo noticed the black button that belonged to the little girl's ragged doll had fallen to the side road. Picking it up, he decided that he would give it to the girl. With her presence now gone, clarity was snapping itself back into place. How strange. The only person who could snip Kyo's sanity and rationality away from him so easily was Yuki, but why was it this girl could too? It wasn't like she was provoking him or making him antsy in any form. No, actually, both of them. Though he hadn't exchanged any words with Shino, she too had given off a strange vibe.

Dead foliage cracked loudly against his weight as Kyo searched for any signs of where the two disappeared off too. After ten minutes of traipsing around the woods, he had not seen a single evidence of the girls' treading.

"Damn," Kyo hissed, his hand fisting the button tightly. Now that he thought about it, he never recalled a mention of an asylum in a forest before. It was a bit eerie, isn't it? Taking a random direction, Kyo treaded on until he was halted by the sounds of laughter – a child's laughter. He swerved, trying to place the laughter but it was coming from the whole perimeter of the area. And then there were rustling and the crunching of the branches. The flashing of the silhouettes were back, dancing back and forth with movements too quick to follow. As clarity slipped once again, ominous buzzing as well as dizzying sensation sat in its vacancy.

"I haven't played in a long time." A voice cooed as the leaves on the canopy's leaves disbursed from its height and surrounded Kyo on the ground. Kyo stumbled back a few steps as his vision became slightly muddled.

"Let's play 'Ring around the Rosie.'" Another voice that dripped with honey added. He was starting to feel dizzy. What was going on? He had just wanted to return the button to that kid. Was he hallucinating or had he fallen asleep without even knowing?

"We have a visitor." The voice was clearly frail with age but there was something layered beneath it that he couldn't place. "It's been awhile." Then there were giggles again.

"Where the hell are you?" Kyo yelled, annoyance and anger bred from his confusion and unsettled condition. Was this some kind of sick joke? "God, I know I'm not going crazy."

Grabbing a branch for support as the swirling got heavier, he waited for their answer. His eyes became half lidded as the leaves continued to fall to the ground to join its dead counterparts and other vermin. He was starting to lose himself in the mesmerized movements of the leaves, the flashing silhouettes, and all the laughter.

"No," another voice broke in, this one sounding exasperated. "Let's play 'I Spy.'"

"No, Red Rover." There was a collective noise of anger and disagreement between the children that Kyo could still not identify. The trees shook in anger, leaves fell in torrents, and it seemed that the trees have craned their skeletal branches to disrupt the light from penetrating through. Thump. There was a little mockingbird that lay fresh in the clutches of death. Insects quickly went to retrieve the gift that the children had unknowingly given them in their bout of anger.

"What's going on?" Kyo's head was spinning in a fevered rush. He had already forgotten why he was even here now, his memory slowly stepping away from him.

"Children," the old voice from before reprimanded. Her booming voice effectively silenced the children even scattering some of the insects that had only devoured half of the mockingbird, a daunting dead eye starred back at him. What a despot woman. Her voice became soft again. "We can play them all." There was a chuckle but it was tainted with poison. Kyo could feel a shiver claw its way up his sweltering spine. He found his composer breaking as he leaned on the tree, panting. He was so dizzy. "I'm sure our new company will play them all." It was said daringly.

Then the giggling was back.

"Ring-a- round the rosie," a childish voice started to sing which was coupled with another child's voice.

"I spy, with my little dumb eye, a beating heart." Another child hummed as the others continued to sing.

Kyo's legs buckled beneath him, his chest aching.

"Red rover, red rover, let sanity come over." The children sang in union.

Sweat was rolling down his brow, his eyes were dilating, his breathing was constricting unceremoniously, and he was trembling.

"I spy with my little dumb eye something that begins with the letter 'f'."

"Fear," the children all answered in union, laughing hard.

Kyo started to cough as he made to grab the branch that now stood above his head and pulled himself up on shaking legs. A bell sounded in the distance suddenly jolting Kyo slightly from his disoriented state. He recognized it as the bell from the school, a bell for the living, as lucidity came to grasp his mind again.

"I have to get out of here." With his eyes swimming, he tried to look for a breach in the woods.

"Are you sick, my dear?" the old lady cackled.

"A pocket full of posies,"

"Red rover, red rover let mortality come over."

He could hear flimsy tree branches and dried leaves cracking underneath weight and each crunch sounded closer. They were getting closer. Stumbling, Kyo bolted toward an opening in the forest that was barely concealed.

"Ashes! Ashes!" He could hear them. They were close, their contours were dancing all across the outskirts of the forest but they were all veiled in the shadow of the trees.

"Red rover, red rover, let courage come over." Kyo swore he saw the delineation of five children holding hands as he ran, his legs were burnings. He didn't see any of their faces, but they wore all the same clothes as Shino.

"I spy with my one dumb eye an injured hand." Kyo felt something encircle his ankles, throwing him off-balance. In a last minute effort, he pushed his hands out forth, catching his crashing body and halting the momentum but paid the price through a bloody hand when dead bark pierced it. He hissed in pain.

Then he felt it, something was sitting lightly on his leg. Without thinking, he kicked the said thing off and turned to see a small child. The same metal irons sat on his limb and the same cloth swallowed his thin frame just like Shino's, but his face was hidden. A brown bag was on his face where two holes were cut out for his eyes. Amateur stitches were sewn across the bag where the mouth was supposed to be, permanently sealed lips, while circular water drops were drawn on the bag, near the ducts of the eyes to portray a crying figure but this child was anything but sad. Kyo stared at the child, too frighten to move while his heart was beating him hard into an adrenaline rush. Through the holes of the bag, he could see the child's eyes – the same up slanting of the palpebral fissure. But he knew this was not Shino, but he was just like her. A necklace around the child's neck confirmed his suspicions. He could still hear the laughter and their forces closing in on him but the child at his side had more of his attention now. Suddenly, the child cocked his head to side as he pointed to Kyo's bleeding hand. Kyo felt himself pale as the child's eyes creased in amusement and before he knew it a silver rod was hurdling toward his face. It was only through years of martial arts that he was able to act on reflex and catch the child's surprisingly fast hand, yank the object out of his cold hand, before standing back up and bolting toward the opening, leaving the demented child.

"Are you sick, my dear?"

Kyo jumped over a fallen limb of a tree. He opened his hand and was surprised to find an orbitoclast. He dropped it in horror to reveal the cut he had received from the fall, a deep cut that zigzagged across his palm. The act of almost being lobotomized has caused his survival senses to heighten, the dizziness being pushed forcefully back. He was breathing heavily, his stomach was churning, and he could taste bile in his mouth but his calf muscles were contracting and retracting beautifully.

"I spy with my one good eye, death!"

"Dammit! Shut up!" Kyo yelled as he pushed the branches out of his way. He could see the silhouettes running after him, their chain clinking against one another.

"Red rover, red rover, let the living come over!" Their feet were pounding hard behind him.

He was almost there, just a little more. He could see the light and a fragment of the pavement. He pushed a final branch out his way while another slapped him crossly against his face, leaving an angry line of blood.

"Come here, my dear. I'll fix you."

His foot landed on the pavement, just out of the vicinity of the woods. The sunlight blinded him as he stood their panting and unbelievingly.

"There, all better." The old lady's voice cooed. "I'm such a good doctor."

"And we all fall down!"

And then everything went black.

* * *

A/N: I am not, in any way, making fun of the mentally retarded. I actually have a little cousin who's mentally retarded so I get easily offended when people make fun of her or any mentally retarded person. I love her dearly and I have actually worked with some of the skills kids at my school. They are very kind hearted and are just like any other normal person.

Lobotomies were procedures that were performed on the mentally insane around the 1930 and 1940s which I believe was introduced by Walter Freeman. They were performed using the instrument orbitoclast which was driven through the eyelids to reach the brain. The orbitoclast was then used the severe the white fibrous matter connecting the cortical tissue of the prefrontal cortex to the thalamus. I think, at the time, they thought that lobotomies were helpful but it just made people worse. Quite tragic.

If you guys didn't know what the other procedure the little girl was referring to aside from the lobotomy it was electroconvulsive therapy or electric shock therapy (ETC).

So, yeah hopefully I didn't overdo it with the games the little children were playing. I couldn't decide what game for them to play so I just decided that I will throw it all in there. Hopefully that wasn't too confusing to follow (yes, I know I didn't exactly play the 'I Spy' game right).

Also, if you didn't know, the lyrics in "Ring around the Rosie" are referring to the Great Plague. The all 'and we all fall down' is referring to death. You can look up the origin of the song anywhere online.

Oh, right. Red Rover. Do recall that when the opposing team that calls your name you must run over and break the chain which is formed by people holding hands, but if you fail to do so, you become part of the opposing team. In this case, all the things the children called over (sanity, courage, rationality etc.) are intangible and have no solidified form therefore it can't break through the chain thus inevitably becomes part of the team of the dead. The last thing they call over is 'the living' (you know the body) but it's practically an empty shell now since all the things that make the body 'living' is now already on the side of the dead. I hope that wasn't too farfetched to you guys to grasp and hopefully you guys get my drift.

I kind of lost inspiration half way through writing this chapter but hopefully you guys still liked it. ^^

Anyway, please R&R. Reviews inspire me and make me happy. No flames please.

1/16/2013


	3. Chapter 3 Smiley Face

Disclaimer- I do not own Fruits Basket, Natsuki Takaya does. Enjoy!

Thank you all who reviewed, favorite, and alerted.

Chapter 3. Smiley Face

Fluttering, crimsons eyes emerged, cloudy and unseeing. There was a dull pain cradling his chest. His temple was running shocks down his spine, paralyzing half his senses. His body felt slightly colonial and numb yet there was still the presence of pain. How could that be possible? He didn't know. His body felt odd. With a slight inkling of fear placed tenderly in his mind, he realized his memory seemed to be vacant of the last twenty-four hours. Shifting, he realized that he was sprawled across his bed, in his room, in Shigure's house. When did he get home? He sat up and almost pitched forward when the blood rushed through his head, his ears ringing with objection. Stabilizing himself with the bedpost, Kyo breathed in and out shakily.

"What is wrong with me?" he placed a hand across his chess lightly, almost as if to support it. He felt so out of breath and exhausted but it was not raining – the birds were chirping in an annoying cadence outside, further amplifying his headache. Composing himself, he stood and unsteadily entered the corridor where he heard the sound of distant talking. He barely had time to catch his breath from clambering down the stairs before Yuki spotted him and quickly went to interrogate him.

"What's your problem, you Stupid Cat?" Yuki veered in close, his eyes drowning in anger and malice. "Don't you ever think?"

Quite contrary to Yuki, his voice was not raised several notches. He was feeling too tired to pick a fight with Yuki today. He leaned slightly on the wall, seeing as he couldn't sit down on the couch since Yuki practically cornered him in the hallway. Yuki didn't appreciate the lax action.

"What are you talking about, you damn rat?" As he said that, he heard the distant sound of chains clinking against one another and the sound of something breaking. He looked around, thinking possibly that Tohru was in the kitchen but surely if Tohru was at home she would have come running at the ensuing fight for Yuki's voice was definitely loud enough for a hurried notification. If it wasn't Tohru then what was that sound?

Sensing Kyo's fading attention, Yuki took another step closer before fisting Kyo's shirt and pulling it roughly.

"Don't give me that, you Stupid Cat. You know quite well what I'm talking about! Are you that selfish to not think Miss Honda wouldn't be worried about you?"

Kyo's head impacted with the wall, and during the impact he heard the sound of laughter. Confused, Kyo looked around for the source. His eyes came into contact with Shigure who stood outside of his office, most likely coming out after hearing the commotion. But Shigure wasn't laughing and his mouth was not moving in the slightest but the sound of laughter still echoed on. Then who was it? Who would dare laugh at him? Just when he was about to get angry and slap Yuki's hand away, the memories came flooding back. The asylum. Lobotomy. Psychiatric ward. Shino. Forest. Patients. Games. He gasped as his head released a terrifying pain causing his unprepared body to buckle beneath him.

Yuki stepped back, surprised, before quickly kneeling next to Kyo.

"Kyo," Awkwardly, he placed his hand on Kyo's arm for assurance, he continued. "What's wrong? Are you alright?"

"What happened?" Shigure was by their sides within seconds. Yuki's hand dropped and was replaced with Shigure's strong hold on Kyo's shoulder. Yuki looked Shigure over and realized he looked slightly panicked, his usual childish attitude melting away. Yuki would never admit it but it seems that Kyo's sudden change in demeanor- the quietness, the aloofness, and that extreme wariness - as of late had everybody on edge if not worried as well.

Kyo was trembling within his hold. He was about to tell Yuki to call Hatori when the trembling stopped and Kyo's eyes suddenly cleared. The pain galloped away, leaving nothing but slight traces of pain, but even the short, unnatural, and sudden experience left Kyo feeling alarmed. Shakily, Kyo detached Shigure's arm from his body, before standing up.

"I'll call Hatori," Shigure announced, his hands still suspended in the air surrounding Kyo.

"No," Kyo's voice raised a notch, causing both Shigure and Yuki to jump. "I just have a slight headache. It's probably going to rain soon." He lied. An evident lie that was left suspended in the air between all of them but none dared to reach up to pull the string that cloaked the naked truth. Wanting to halt the current conversation from going forth, he deterred to a previous path.

"Rat," Yuki turned to him, his face still not back on par of his usual princely face that he habitually displayed. He was still reminiscing about the sudden display and he almost looked concerned. Kyo crossed his arms tightly across his chest almost to ensure the reality of his being and grab a sense of himself. "What the hell were you talking about? I didn't do anything to Tohru."

"You made her worry you idiot. What were you thinking when you pulled that stunt at school today?" Yuki also crossed his arm, his arrogance and princely aura slowly recollecting and concentrating within his being.

"Shame on you, Kyokyo!" Shigure too had returned to his norm. "Making our Little Flower worry like that! Oh, I know, you wanted our Little Flower's attention and-"

Kyo quickly cut him off. "I didn't do anything! I…" Kyo found his rebuttal trailing as he realized his memory wasn't supplying him of any information of his day to prove the Rat wrong. All he remembered was walking to school and then the encounter with those 'children,' if he could call them that, and that was it; everything else was a blank, dead pathway. He couldn't recollect the tiniest thing after that. Had he even gone to school that day? What day was it?

"You were late for class, you slept through all your classes, and you even left school early without telling anybody!" Yuki snarled. "Did you really think that you could do that and not have Miss Honda worry?"

Even with his current snappish attitude, Yuki was worried about Kyo. He remembered internally cursing himself when him and Tohru had found themselves in front of the school's gate but noticed too late that their initial trio had become a sudden duo. His breathing had hitched when he noticed that Kyo had disappeared but he remained an outer calm for Tohru who had already thrown herself into frenzy.

Yuki had started to observe Kyo more often ever since that day and had come to a conclusion that somebody was possibly after the cat. That would explain his wariness, right? Silently, he had watched over Kyo and kept tabs on people who looked suspicious and those that he had seen too many time within a span of time to consider an innocent coincidence. He had come up with none aside from those obsessive and compulsive fan girls. Surely, Kyo wasn't afraid of them. Rightfully, those fan girls could be scary in their own right, he knew from experience, but nothing to an extent that would cause Kyo to change in the way he did.

So, when Kyo had finally vanished, under Yuki's supervision none the less, he had felt slightly sick. Uneasiness only settled further when Kyo had not shown up within the first five minutes. To his annoyance, he had started to duplicate Tohru's action of turning in his seat to crane at the door which Tohru performed on the opposite side of the class. So when the door finally slid open, presenting an uninjured Kyo, relief had flooded him. He had never been so happy to see Kyo in his life but their teacher had thought otherwise. He had banged his ruler sharply across an empty desk, causing many unexpected students to jump, but Kyo was not fazed by the sound at all. The teacher huffed, before going on a long tangent on how tardiness would result in a domino effect of many things and of those many things all were bad. Uninjured Kyo may have been when he arrived, he had still looked slightly pale and disoriented which caused Yuki to bite his lip at the notice. The teacher had noticed as well for his tangent didn't ride out its usual length. Instead it was halted for an inquiry of whether or not Kyo wanted to go see the nurse. Kyo had declined before stiffly taking his seat.

With the resumed lecture, Kyo had fallen asleep within minutes and only woke up when he had to change class. He had slept in all of his classes. Before one of his classes, Yuki had snatched him away from the crowd to scold him but Kyo seem to barely register anything Yuki had said. There was no presence in his eyes when he had talked to him; it was almost as if he was being possessed. When lunch finally came he had left and went home. It was only after Haru's suggestion that Yuki decided to call Shigure to inquire about Kyo's whereabouts. He did it to appease Tohru but Haru didn't believe him and he wasn't surprised that he didn't. Though he was angered that Kyo hadn't notified anybody, he was slightly relieved that Kyo decided to go home early that day. His aloofness today was remarkable, and it was by some miracle that Kyo hadn't triggered a transformation at all that day.

Kyo processed Yuki's words. So, according to Yuki, he had gone to school today but there was no single residue of this happening in his memory, but why would Yuki lie about this. But Yuki had said that he was late…

"How late was I?"

The question startled Yuki. He was expecting a loud objection to his words, an excuse, or possibly a frustrated fist hurdling toward his face, but not that question. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Just answer it." Kyo's eyes looked trouble. Yuki noted that Kyo's hold on his midsection tightened and Yuki still half expected Kyo to hit him. He was slightly yearning for it, the punch, since it would at least remind him of some balance of normalcy. It never came. Since when was Kyo so restraining?

"About fifteen minutes." It wasn't about, it was exactly fifteen minutes and ten seconds, Yuki had counted, but he wasn't going to tell the stupid cat that.

"Fifteen minutes…" Kyo whispered to himself. No, that couldn't possibly be right. The whole fiasco couldn't possibly have happen within such a short window span. It was impossible, but then again the supernatural is supposed to be rationally impossible too. He shook his head. "I slept through all my classes…"

"Yes, you did." Yuki said, his anger quickly depleting. Kyo's strange behavior did that to him – making him angry and then suddenly worried- he didn't like it at all.

'Had I possibly dreamt the whole thing up?' Kyo clenched his fist, frustrated with the turn of events. He was supposed to be able to tell the difference between reality and a dream. His chest gave a sore throb, which caused him to caress it again. Then the memory of the boy sitting on him flashed into his mind. He quickly revealed his right hand, opened it, and found…nothing. There was no scar just smooth, untarnished skin. He unclasped his fist and rotated his wrist experimentally. It was fine- ligaments, tendons, nerves, and muscles were all working in perfect symphony. He had momentarily forgotten about his two occupants but they were closely watching Kyo's hand, curious by Kyo's sudden interest.

"Kyo, if you want to hit Yuki, please do it outside." Shigure gestured toward the door, a grin on his face. And for good measure, added, "Don't ruin my well-earned house." He practically wailed as he feinted a faint gesture which caused Yuki to grumble.

Kyo's hand dropped to his side. "It's not there."

"What's not there, Kyo?" Shigure asked, as he tucked his hands in the sleeves of his kimono, his gesticulation finally bidding for now, much to Yuki's relief. It had suddenly felt cold. Yuki raised an eyebrow at Kyo's odd statement.

Kyo shook his head before turning back to the stairs where he promptly climbed them.

"Kyo?" Shigure's voice lost its childish tease, a troubled tone had leaked in.

Kyo continued to mumble about something not being there, and continued to do so until his voice was cut off by a solid, shut door.

Yuki sighed as he turned toward the front door. He paused in the process of putting on his shoes when he realized that he hadn't given Kyo a proper scolding for worrying Tohru yet. What could have been more important than scolding Kyo? A lot of things apparently.

Yuki shook his head, not wanting to think about it as he closed the door behind him and bidding Shigure a farewell. Besides, he had better things to occupy his mind than the stupid cat; like who had moved his shoes? He was sure when he had gotten home, he had placed them neatly along the walls but when he had come back they were thrown in the center and turned over almost as if somebody had kicked them. A zephyr skipped by, kissing his skin and calming his mind. Some fresh air would do him some good, especially since all the air that has been circulating within the house has been a lot colder than usual today.

* * *

The clock ticked loudly against the wall, reminding Shigure of his upcoming manuscript that was due soon. He sighed, why did he feel so tired lately? He knew it wasn't because age was settling into his bones and making them weary. He was too young for that. Something was dreadfully wrong with Kyo and it seems to affecting everybody in the slightest. Shigure walked past the base of the stairs and stared up at it with something akin to longing before retiring to his office. As the door closed behind him, he felt a sense of privacy return back to him. Does that mean that he felt the presence of somebody watching him until now then? He would have chuckled if he had the energy to do it. He dropped to the floor, in front of a load of scattered papers and other varia. He had a lot of things to do. He did not have the time to fancy his sixth sense tonight.

* * *

The sand bag swung backwards, its heavy weight causing its connected metal to squeak loudly in protest. The force behind each punch continued to relentlessly shower upon the sand bag. It was swinging on it edges wildly, almost becoming a live opponent that was trying to dodge the countless rounds. His hands were shaking just by the sheer force and his knuckles had started to blistered a while ago, but he continued to throw his flurries. His nerve had long ago died in vain. Sweat had longed swam into his shirt and dripped from the attire when it could no longer cling onto the lean, rapid form that defied the laws of imposing forces. Kyo slipped to the ground after giving the sandbag a final grievous hit, his breathing heavy.

His body was tired and aching but his mind was still clear- too clear. He had hoped that by tiring himself at the dojo, he would be too tired to think of all the crazy things or, at least, too tired to dream of murderous scenes and psychiatric wards. He had sparred for an hour and then self-practices for two, but it had only left him feeling weak and depleted. He had been doing the same thing for three days. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, revealing in the feel of the breeze that danced through the room. He could hear children laughing outside the dojo or maybe they were inside. It seems that Kazuma had accepted some younger students. They sounded so happy, so normal, so …unlike him. They were making quite a ruckus with their laughter. In the mist of all the happiness, he could hear them saying something but whatever it was he could not understand it; it was almost as if they were speaking a foreign language.

With his eyes still closed, he reached for the towel around his neck to wipe the sweat away, but when he touched it didn't feel like a towel, it felt like long strands of hair – a girl's hair. He ripped his eyes open, startled, only to find that a normal towel sat in his hand and the sudden fibrous feelings were lost. But he could have sworn that his towel felt like strands of hairs, it even parted slightly in his hand… but only a normal towel lay in his hand, whole and feathery. 'Am I losing my mind?'

"Kyo."

Kyo jumped, the towel dropped into his lap as he looked up jerkily. His eyes came into contact with his Shishou who was standing at the door but what startled him was that he could have sworn he saw a glimpse of a pale foot crawling away behind the door his Shishou stood from. Bolting up, he clambered to the door where Kazuma stood before falling to his knees and looking down the hallway to spot any child crawling away on their knees. Kyo could feel his face paling, when he saw nothing. There was nobody there just dust caressing the corridors and darkness hugging the corners. 'I really am losing my mind…'

When Kyo had bolted toward him, he just assumed that Kyo was happy to see him, but Kyo's face told a different story. When Kyo had fell to his knees, Kazuma was surprised by the sudden loss of dexterity, and he had tried to catch Kyo from the fall but Kyo had evaded his outstretched arms in midair and promptly fell to the base of the door. Without any outcry of pain from the hard impact with the ground, Kyo pushed himself the minimal distance to the entrance of the door where he then looked out the corridor. Kazuma watched his eyes swipe the outside with such rush and earnestly that Kazuma almost thought Akito had appeared. He saw Kyo's shoulder tense and found himself turning to look outside as well, seeking for any presence for Akito. There was no Akito just emptiness pressing down in the corridors.

"Kyo," kneeling beside Kyo who was still looking out the door, he placed his hand on Kyo's back. Kyo stiffened at the action but did not push the hand away. He could feel Kyo's muscle contract under his soft touch. "What's wrong? Did you see somebody?"

Shaking, Kyo turned back to Kazuma and tried to look him in the eye but found the feat hard.  
"I…I thought…" he shook his head. "I don't know."

"You must be tired Kyo. I heard from Kunimitsu that you over exerted yourself today. You sparred with quite a good number today." Kazuma tried to smile, but it was difficult bearing in mind how shaken Kyo was. He had never seen Kyo act this way before, at least, not unless Akito was in the equation.

"I didn't." Kyo stated quietly. Kyo found his eyes unconsciously trailing toward the towel that he had dropped earlier. It was still splayed across the ground, looking pure and unsoiled by nobody's touch. Then the feel of the towel pressed into his mind. It felt like hair, silky and neat, but at the same time disgusting. When he brushed his digits across one another, he could feel them becoming aggravated by a sticky tension that wasn't there before. The hair on his neck stood at attention when he recalled the feeling of somebody's dead hair laying on his body-strangling his neck. He swallowed the lump that was starting to form in his throat while also trying to pound down the bout of nervosa that was threatening to cocoon him.

"You seem to have left some of them a very 'good' memory, Kyo," Kazuma laughed lightly and Kyo merely grunted. Kazuma frowned slightly. "Kyo, are you sure that you're okay?"

He nodded again despite the pounding in his head and the ringing in his ears.

Kazuma shook his head, deciding to not press the matter further. "Kyo, why don't you stay the night today?"

* * *

Kyo sighed as he expertly sliced through the carrots. Each tandem cut fell onto the cutting board soundly- each equally thin, round, and dead. The rhythmic sound of the knife hitting and slicing through lulled him into a dazed state of confusion. One of Kyo's hands remained mounted on the carrot while the other trailed blindly into the bag of groceries. His hand went in, as his mind still floated elsewhere but was quickly reeled back as his hand grazed something foreign. He shot his hand back to his side as his heart pounded tightly within its cage. He thought his fingers had brushed hair, again.

"What was that?" he stared at the grocery bag that sat innocently on the counter; there was a notable bulge in it. His eyes narrowed as he approached the bag, the knife still strong in his hand. Shishou had never taught them with lethal weapons, but Kyo was sure that he could wield the knife just fine if he had too. The grip tightened within his hold, reminding him of his senses. Despite of himself, his hands were not as fast and determined as the usually were as they approached the bag. He gave it a good swipe with the knife causing the clear bag to open; spilling its content like a body would its organs. They tumbled down to the ground, hitting the floor fast and hard.

He spotted it, the thing that made him cringe back with fright. He bent to pick up the ugly, brown root.

"A freaking fleeceflower," Kyo said unbelievingly. Keeping it eyelevel, he gave the root a good luck, and found himself somewhat unnerved by it. It was shaped like a child. Since when did Shishou start eating this? He placed it down on the cutting board and realized with some unwillingness that he was holding the thin roots that were acting as the hair if this child was real. It was disgusting. He quickly chopped it off and disposed it in the trashcan. With some hesitance, he cut the one of the arms off.

"It looks like a child, doesn't it?" Kyo's hand slipped, barely missing his finger. He gave his Shishou a sharp look but quickly remembered himself and corrected it. Internally, Kyo wondered when he had suddenly become so apt to jump so easily. Kazuma gave an easy laugh as he ruffled Kyo's hair, something he hadn't done in a while. Kyo gave him a quizzical look. "Sorry Kyo. I didn't mean to frighten you."

"You didn't," was the only weak excuse Kyo could say. Actually, it wasn't even an excuse, just a denial.

"Are you sure you just don't want to order out?" Kazuma asked, noting Kyo's tired voice. It was too late, he had already started. Kazuma hmmed before settling himself to the right of Kyo after peering into the boiling pot. "Do you want help?"

"I don't want the house to burn down."

Kazuma gave a light hearted laugh. "I think I have gotten better."

Kyo shook his head, and cracked a slight smile. He felt relieved for just a sweet moment. It's been a while. It seemed like it was a good idea to stay the night after all. "You're as bad as that damn rat."

A comfortable silence settled as Kyo continued to chop. After a few ensuing minutes, Kyo broke it. "Shishou, when did you start eating this?" Kyo gestured toward the fleeceflower root.

Kazuma's face furrowed slightly. "Hmmm, now that you mention it…" He paused and for some reason it made Kyo feel anxious. "How odd."

"What is?" A leg was cut off.

"I don't remember buying it."

Kyo spun around to face his Shishou, dropping the knife back down in his haste.  
"What?"

Kazuma remained silent, his face full of contemplation. His mind wandered before finally finding a logical answer. "Maybe I placed it in the basket when I was distracted." Kazuma scratched his head, and looked somewhat bashful. "I do that a lot."

Kyo had gone shopping with Kazuma a lot when he was younger and he knew the man's nature to put things into the basket without his notice well. A strong man of martial arts he is, but he's flawed with so much obliviousness. But of all the things to place in the basket, why this ugly thing?

Kyo turned back to the cutting board, picking the knife back up. Another arm was lost.

"It's very good for you." A leg was sliced through.

"How so?" Kyo didn't really believe that something this ugly could be 'good' for him. He severed the head, leaving nothing but a bare body – all its limbs lost.

"It's good for your hair." Kazuma chimed happily.

"Hair?" Kyo stiffened at the word, but there was no visible notice, at least, not on Kazuma's part.

"Yes," Kazuma nodded his head. "At least, that's what legend says. It's said that white hair can turn black again."

The knife sat suspended in the air. 'Of all things to accidentally get, Shishou picks this…Could it be?'

"My," Kazuma continued, not noticing Kyo's inner turmoil. "If that was true, it would be quite something." Kazuma's mouth was open, prompted to say something more but his words died in his throat when Kunimitsu's voice sounded through the corridor, beckoning his presence. He quickly departed, assuring Kyo that he would be back soon; leaving Kyo with a mutated fleeceflower root.

He stared down at it, this tragic body that he had created. His eyes lingered and traveled through all the limbs and he couldn't help but feel as if they were real body parts of a child. He looked closer, each body part was accentuated with linings and indentions. Even the face had two elliptical indentions, a protrusion there, and a nice upward turn of lines.

It was smiling.

* * *

A/N: It's been awhile since I've updated, hasn't it? Hope you guys are still there to support me. ^^

Well, to the more important stuff. A fleeceflower root can be quite creepy looking if you have seen one. Some of them have taken humanoid shape. You can Google "fleeceflower root human," and you will see a whole bunch of them. A fleeceflower root is a herb that is used mainly in China but is seen in Japan as well, albeit, not as commonly. It is said that they improve blood circulation and thus hair growth. Sadly, hair growth due to this herb has not been scientifically proven yet and, if it has, not to that far of a degree. A large dose of this can cause severe abdominal pain though. If you have seen Harry Potter, they show a scene of a root that they refer to as a "mandrake" – you know, that squealing ugly baby root who's wailing and high pitch vocals can cause a person to faint or become deaf. A fleeceflower root kind of reminds me of that.

I can't believe how lucky I was when I found this root! I was so glad since it fit well with this chapter. I was so giddy when there was a legend that says that it helps hair and the fact that some of them take humanoid form was an extreme plus.

Originally, I had planned something else to be put in this chapter but I had added the hair and the fleeceflower root idea at the spur of the moment. It just popped into my head and well…I decided I wanted it in there. I was going to add the 'meat' of my original idea in this chapter but this chapter was already too lengthy so I decided against it. A good portion of this chapter did not consist of my original idea so it wasn't that frightening but I will surely put what I wanted in this chapter in the next one.

Anyway, please R&R. Reviews inspire me and make me happy. No flames please.

Seriously, I need some reviews. It's depressing when I barely get any but I am happy that you guys are reading my story.

3/1/2013


	4. Chapter 4 Water's Mate

Disclaimer- I do not own Fruits Basket, Natsuki Takaya does. Enjoy!

Thank you all who reviewed, favorite, and alerted.

Please read the A/N at the bottom.

Chapter 4. Water's Mate

He diced it. Diced it to something that wasn't even coherently similar to its previous humanoid shape. He had thought of throwing the ugly thing away and maybe his Shishou wouldn't notice but thought against it. Avoidance would only mean that it had caught him in its clutches. In what way? He wasn't too sure, but it wasn't in a good way. Besides, it would be stupid and make him look pathetic if he was frightened of a root.

Its remains remained sprawled out on the cutting board in little, square chunks. He picked up the cutting board, ready to pour what was left of the fleeceflower root into the hot boiling pot when he thought he heard the sound of a groan. The board remained hovered above the waiting pot, as he looked around.

"Shishou?" Kyo's hands jerked as he heard it again. Without his notice, a small diced root rolled off of the board and fell into the pot. It had straddled the surface for seconds, almost as if it was showing resistance, before sinking. His senses were playing trick on him today. He turned back to the task at hand, and poured the rest into the pot. Some in particular had disturbed the water greatly causing the boiling water to reach up and catch him on the arm, and burning his skin.

"Great." He hissed. His arm was already reddening. _I'll have to hide this from Tohru._

Kyo continued on with his cooking, adamantly ignoring the protest from his arms. Just a few more touches of seasoning and he would be done. He reached up to a cabinet and noticed with some disgust that the linings were wet. He swung it open and was horrified with what he saw.

A boy was laying in it, but his lower half was not present; a dismembered figure. Kyo dropped the knife in shock. Unconsciously, Kyo found himself searching for blood but no blood was painted across the boy's appendages nor was it carved within the woods of the small cabinet. No, there was just water pooled around him.

"Wha-" Kyo choked, the words dying in his throat. Every clear thought was snapped clean and slated away. His throat tightened to the extent that he thought he was being throttled. His mind was going numb again just like when he was in the forest. _Oh, god, no. _Kyo couldn't look away. Something was telling him to look and he did.

The boy was young, probably no older than Hiro. His hair was dripping wet and patches of his skin were deteriorating into a brown crumbly, waxy material. Yet, within the brown patches of skin there were millions of tiny grey circles which only intensified the ghastly appearance. It was almost as if his skin was like soap, bubbles forming within bubbles and then erupting. Kyo continued to stare as the boy's body started convulsing; his body shook ferociously within the tiny space. His remaining limbs were hitting against the cabinet's interior, reminding Kyo slightly of the cage of the cat. Fine, white, froth started to escape from his mouth and nostrils as he continued to shake. Then the boy looked at him and his mouth was open, trying to say something but nothing came out except froth. Just when Kyo was about to step forth, the boy's face hardened with malice. Then the boy disappeared, leaving nothing but a puddle of water.

"I," Kyo started but was cut off by the sound of dragging. He looked down and saw an unattached arm protruding from the lower cabinet, but the cabinet door was closed. Yes, the hand was going through the cabinet almost as if it had no tangible form. The hand was macerated with roughness and abnormal pimples. Each finger was wrinkled, but not from age, no, from the water. It was the boy's hand, Kyo knew. Kyo was shocked when he saw the hand was holding the knife that he had dropped earlier. He wasn't shocked that it had it in its possession, no, he was shocked that it was capable of even holding it. Kyo watched with silence as his chest constricted and sweat rolled down the length of his back. The arm stretched further out and Kyo could make out a bony shoulder. It bent at an awkward angle as it held the knife to the surface of the cabinet and started to drag it across the fine wood. It moved in a jerky fashion as it continued to carve the wood. The sound was horrendous. He couldn't believe that nobody had been notified by it. It carved and carved until its ministration was done. The knife dropped from the hand. Before he knew it, the hand was gone leaving nothing but the word 'Servant' on the boards.

"Servant," Kyo whispered. He could feel confusion overriding the apprehension. "What does that mean?"

It felt so fake now that the whole thing made it feel so real was gone but even with that said, his hair was still standing on in.  
"Kyo, is the food done yet?"

Slowly, Kyo turned toward the door. Kunimitsu was leaning against the door, his breath heavy from practice, but a pleasant smile still hung on his face.

"Kunimitsu?" Kyo breathed out shakily. Kunimitsu frowned, noting Kyo's out of breath state. Kunimitsu crossed the distance between them.

"Are you alright, Kyo? You don't seem well." Kunimitsu came closer but halted as he stepped on something. He lifted his foot and found a knife. His eyebrows arched in question and he turned to Kyo but Kyo was only looking at the knife that sat next to his foot. Kunimitsu scooped up the knife.

"Here." Kyo shied away from the knife which surprised him. "Kyo, are you alri-" before he could finish, Kyo yanked the knife from his hand and chunked it in the sink with deadly accuracy. His eyes widened at the action. Kyo wiped the residue feeling of the knife crossly against his pants frantically. He had never seen Kyo act like this.

"I'm fine." He whispered hastily. "Did you hear anything earlier?"

"What? No, I didn't." Kyo was fidgeting and he wanted to place a hand on his shoulder to calm him, but, considering his state, Kyo might lash out at him without meaning too. "Kyo, what's going on?"

"You really didn't hear anything?" Kunimitsu's question was evaded, much to his disappointment. "You didn't hear the knife…" Kyo's eyes widened as his eyes broke contact with him.

Kunimitsu followed Kyo's gaze and found himself staring at a cabinet that was totally unblemished. He was quite proud of those cabinets; he had helped install some of them.

Kyo shook his head; he looked as if he had just been kicked. _It's gone. It's gone! I really am going crazy_.

Kyo moved back to the counter, picked up a new knife, and started to chop again. His hair covered his eyes.

"Kyo?" Kunimitsu walked toward him again and noted that Kyo's hands were slightly shaking.

"Food will be ready soon."

Kunimitsu knew he was being dismissed. When Kyo got like this nobody could talk to him except Kazuma. He'll tell him later. He nodded and left.

* * *

He poured the food into the dishes in slow, measured quantities. On any normal day, he would have poured the food into the dishes haphazardly but those normal days didn't involve him stalling. He knew that Kunimitsu had already told Kazuma of his strange behavior today and that would only segue to a long, unwanted conversation about his well-being. He never did like those conversations – they made him feel antsy and awkward. How was he going to tell Kazuma that he was seeing things and that maybe he should be locked up earlier than they thought? He didn't want to put anymore burden on Kazuma's shoulder.

He sighed as he balanced four dishes in his hand. His hands strained from the weight and the burning sensation but he ignored it. The pain kept him grounded to reality. They wobbled within his hold but he held them tighter. He had only taken a few steps when he felt something encircle his ankles and tugged them roughly. Balance lost, he crashed into the ground. The china broke and bit into his skin ruthlessly. He hissed as blood escaped him and the food scorched him.

Kazuma came running. "Kyo!"

He could hear the quick pounding of feet and the heavy breathing of his Shishou from the other side of the corridor. Kazuma was greeted with the sight of kyo lying in a bed of shard, his blood serving as beautiful roses painted on china. Kazuma quickly but carefully stepped past a puddle of water. _Kyo probably slipped on that_, he thought.

Without much thought, he kneeled down and pulled Kyo up and held him against his chest. He was frantic. He had never seen Kyo lose this much blood. "Kyo! Kyo, are you alright?"

"I-" Before Kyo could finish, there was another set of pounding feet. Kunimitsu appeared in the doorway. He gasped at the sight. Kyo was bleeding, there was glass everywhere, and Kazuma's kimono was wetting with blood from holding Kyo so tight.

"W-what happened?" He stuttered out. He became slightly faint at the site of all the blood.

"Call Hatori!" Kazuma ordered as he looked around frantically for some kind of cloth to temporarily stop the bleeding. Kunimitsu quickly went to find the phone.

"I don't need Hatori!" Kyo objected while trying to get out of his Shishou's hold. Kazuma's grip tightened but not enough to hurt him.

"You need Hatori! Look at all this blood!" Kazuma reached for a towel that was sitting on the floor and pressed it toward Kyo's arm.

"Hatori's on his way." Kunimitsu announced as he ran back in to the kitchen.

Kyo hissed. "Dammit."

Kazuma was too busy to scold Kyo for his language. Instead, he picked Kyo up and carried him to the couch. He didn't struggle for the humiliating act would only last longer if he did. He was starting to feel lightheaded. Kunimitsu busied himself with finding towels while Kazuma held Kyo.

Minutes later, Hatori came in with his black suitcase tight within his hold. He gave a quick overlook of the surrounding before pulling a needle out.

"What is that?" Kyo asked, his words slurring slightly. Hatori took his hand and gave him the shot.

"Anesthetic." Hatori quickly ordered Kunimitsu to bring an empty bucket over and some clean cloths. Hatori gingerly pulled out the shards that embedded themselves into his skin. Kyo wondered why he even bothered being gentle – he couldn't feel anything anyway, he hadn't for some time.

The whole procedure has last a little over an hour and throughout the whole thing Kazuma was shooting furtive looks between Hatori and Kyo. Toward Hatori to see if there was any sign of something bad occurring and toward Kyo to see if he was still okay. Kyo's silence throughout the whole procedure probably didn't ease Kazuma's worry. Kazuma had even shaken him a couple of times to make sure he was still conscious. In the end, Hatori had stitch a good portion of his arms where the cuts were too deep. The shallow cuts were bandaged securely.

Hatori leaned back and sighed. He wiped his brow before looking up to Kyo who still had a blank expression. "How are you feeling, Kyo?"

Kazuma's hands tightened around his shoulder. "Fine."

Hatori shook his head, probably not believing him. "In the next few weeks don't strain your arms. Don't carry anything to heavy. No fights either." Hatori handed a bottle of medicine to Kazuma. "Make sure he takes these before each meal. It will help with his iron intake. Drink a lot of fluids but not too much, it'll make you nauseous. If you feel dizzy or your hands start bleeding again, call me."

Kyo nodded dumbly, his mind still feeling sluggish and tired. Kazuma and Hatori were talking now but he wasn't listening to them. He could hear the sound of water dripping. He knew he felt hands encircling his ankles earlier. It was that boy again. With some reluctance, Kyo dragged his eyes toward the cabinets. Kyo could feel himself involuntarily shiver as he saw a shine and a tip of a fingers flashing within the darkness as the cupboard was pulled closed. His throat felt scratchy and there was a distant buzzing at the back of his head again. _When had it creaked open? I thought I left it closed._

The cabinets were shut now but it was still permeable. He saw the water steadily seep through the cracks of the cupboard, congregate, before falling down from the tall height and forming something akin to what its master would call his end and now friend. The water plopped down, forming a greater puddle with each drop as well as a person's possible death sentence. The sound of the droplets clashing onto the boards of the floor echoed within Kyo's ear, almost causing them to ring. But, it was only he that seemed to notice the loud, slapping echoes that the water was performing only a few feet from them. Why? How come the other didn't hear the loud, horrendous symphony that was being played at hand by that disgusting creature, no, human – no, wait, human wouldn't be right either. _Am I really going insane? Should I tell Hatori. No, they'll lock me up. I don't want that. _

"Kyo." It was Hatori. With some difficulty, he pulled his eyes away from the growing puddle of water. Hatori looked worried which Kyo found was odd. Hatori hardly ever carried his emotions on his sleeve.

"What?" He lurched forward slightly but was quickly caught by Kazuma.

"I said, next time you get hurt you must call me. Don't hide it. You're lucky that your previous injury didn't get infected. It would have been quite bad if it did."

Kyo looked at Hatori oddly. "What previous injury? What are you talking about?"

Hatori frowned, surprised. "The one on your hand." Hatori reached over and grabbed Kyo's right wrist and pointed toward a zigzagged line that ran the whole length of his palm. Kyo's eyes widened. "It's, at least, three days old."

As he stared at it, Kyo could hear the distant sound of chains clinking and the sound of children laughing. _And we all fall down, _ringed in his ears.

_They're here._ He swallowed.

Hatori stood so suddenly that Kyo jumped. Hatori noticed the action and placed a hand on Kyo's shoulder to reassure him. Hatori turned to Kazuma. "I think I will drive Kyo back to Shigure's."

Kazuma gave Hatori a warm smile. "Kyo's staying the night today."

"I see. May I have a word with you, Kazuma?"

"Of course." Kazuma stood up as well. "Kunimitsu please assist Kyo to his room."

Kunimitsu eagerly moved to Kyo's side, wrapped an arm gently around Kyo, and hoisted him on his feet.

"Goodbye, Kyo." Hatori gave Kyo one final look before departing, Kazuma right behind him.

"Bye."

* * *

Even though he didn't want to, Kyo ended up leaning on Kunimitsu for support. He hated showing his weak side, but, at least, this was Kunimitsu and not the rat.

"There you are." Kunimitsu chided happily as he pulled the blanket up to Kyo's chin – he insisted that he do it since Kyo wasn't feeling well, much to Kyo's disgruntle.

"Kunimitsu," Kunimitsu looked up from sorting some books on the floor.

"Hmmm?"

"Did the dojo get new students recently?"

Kunimitsu instantly brightened. "Yes, we have! I get to teach some of them!"

Kyo nods and before the next question fell out of his mouth, he could already feel his heart beating faster at the prospected answer. "How old are they?"

"A little older than you."

Kyo shifted on the bed a little. "Then have there been any been kids playing near the dojo, possibly other Sohma children?"

"Hmmm," Kunimitsu placed a hand under his chin, taking the question quite seriously. He looked thoughtful as he stared out of one of the windows. "None that I know of. Why do you ask, Kyo?" Kunimitsu cocked his head slightly as he looked over at Kyo.

"No reason." He remembered the sound of the children laughing earlier today –it sounded so real, so normal but now it only sounded sinister. "Just…curious."

* * *

"What is it Hatori?" They were standing outside, next to Hatori's car. The wind blew against them, threating their warmth.

"I would have gone to see Kyo today even before you called." Hatori confided as he lit a cigarette; the past hour had been stressful.

Kazuma was slightly startled by Hatori's words. "Why?"

"Shigure's been worried about Kyo lately. He called me a couple days ago, telling me that Kyo has been acting strange." He blew a ring of smoke and watched it glide in the air for a couple of seconds before it faded like many other things. "Shigure does not get worried easily, Kazuma."

"I know. He was acting strange earlier today too."

Hatori sighed. "Just watch after him, Kazuma."

He nodded. "I will. Good day, Hatori."

"Goodbye." Hatori got into his car and left.

Kazuma watched Hatori's car peel out the drive way and stood there, feeling frustrated and uneasy. "What's wrong with you, Kyo? My poor son."

Nothing answered him, leaving him feeling dejected.

* * *

After coming inside, Kazuma just wanted to see Kyo. On his way to Kyo's room, Kunimitsu stopped him in the hallway.

"Do you want some tea, Kazuma-dono?" Kunimitsu asked as he held up a cup.

"No, thank you. How's Kyo?"

He placed the cup back down on table and picked up a broom. He was quite the domesticated man. "Asleep, I suppose."

"Did he say anything?" Kazuma asked as he turned around, ready to go visit Kyo himself.

"Nothing important, just some questions about new students."

"I see." Kazuma left and traveled his way down to Kyo's room. He opened the door and found Kyo still awake.

"Kyo," Kazuma said warmly as he sat down on the mat. "You should be resting. Go to sleep."

"I'm trying."

"I think I'll sleep in this room tonight, Kyo." Kazuma smiled up at him, waiting for an objection but there was none on Kyo's part. Kyo nodded much to Kazuma's pleasure.

Kazuma settled himself down on the mat alongside Kyo. Kyo knew Kazuma was worried. Kazuma hardly slept in the same room with him unless he was worried about something. Kazuma reached over to ruffle Kyo's head before pulling the sheets up and nodding off. As Kyo watched the steady rise and fall of Kazuma's chest, he couldn't help but feel slightly comforted by his presence. Trying not to disturb Kazuma, Kyo scooted closer to his father's chest, feeling warm. He hadn't felt warm in a long time.

Just when he was about to get comfortable, he heard the sound of a leaking faucet. His mind flashed with emotions and with it came a mountain of images: the shines of those unmerciful eyes, the thin up curling of lips that sucked the nectar of vendetta, those cold digits closing around his ankles, and that laugh, that blood curdling laugh that rang in his ears as he fell, stunning him. The laugh sounded as if its owner's lungs had inhaled nothing but water. He heard the sound of water dripping as Kazuma pulled away from him slightly in his sleep, bringing forth a sudden coldness. He scooted closer as he griped Kazuma's clothes tighter than he ever had before, slightly tarnishing the fabric. He fell into an edgy sleep as one thought weighed heavily on his mind: It sounded like the laugh of a drowned victim seeking retribution.

* * *

He could hear it, the sound of a body dragging itself across the floor. Its attire crinkled with sound and movement as it continued to drag itself across the floor, mopping the floor clean of dust and yet leaving something vile in its dragging wake. He could hear the nails raking the board soundly with dirty intentions as it moved forward, ones of its dead limbs trailed behind it. Yes, even with just sound, and maybe with some unknown intuition, Kyo knew well that this thing that was crawling around Shishou's corridor was missing a limb, possibly a leg. Maybe it was missing an arm too, but he didn't know; he could only read so far. At first, he thought his mind was playing tricks on him when he was woken up with a slight start to the sound of something in the middle of the night. Even with this distance, Kyo somehow knew that it had started at the dojo arena and had steadily dragged itself closer to his room.

Maybe it was his feline senses, but Kyo knew that he shouldn't refer to the subject matter at hand an 'it,' he knew it was a girl; the same girl that let him touch her hair. As he lay stiffly, his mind recalled her first appearance. It seemed his mind really was wavering as of late, as he remembered the aligning of the foot. 'How had I overlooked that?' Her foot was aligned horizontally with the boards. If she had been crawling, that foot would have been perpendicular to the flooring. As time ticked on, he could practically feel his mind clicking and rotating. She can move fast then even when she's dragging her dead weight behind her. After all, he hadn't spotted her when he bolted toward the corridor. Her arms must be strong – she could strangle him then. Was she toying with him? Moving at such a slow pace… his anxiety constructed a new level with each impending minute. With each new height, his mind came closer to insanity. That's how she played. She liked to toy.

As she got closer, he could hear the labored breathing. It sounded harsh, surreal, and so fake. It was almost as if her breathing was habitual but not necessary. But through all that labored breathing and dragging, he could hear the soft sound of something skimming the floorboards lightly. It was her hair. Her hair was falling over her prone figure so the tips could reach the floorboards. It was walking with her. It was almost as if it wanted to notify Kyo of its presence and tell him it was alive.

She was finally here, behind his door. Then all the sounds ceased. He could no longer hear her breathing or the sounds of her clothes crinkling, and her nails no longer screeched with horror across the boards. He wanted to scream, but fear had bolted his body stiff and locked his voice away. Maybe it was a good thing. He couldn't move a single muscle even his brows remained un-furrowed almost giving him a sense of bliss in his assumed sleep. The door slid open a creak and he knew that she was peering in at them. It was opened wider and she moved in, but there was no sound except for her hair skimming the floor of his room. He wasn't sure how long she was there or if she was even there anymore. She wasn't making a sound but her presence made the gravity of the room heavier. Then he felt it. Her hair fell over his face, blanketing his face in whole like a curtain. She was staring right down at him. Somehow, she had managed to sit up her disposed figure without making a sound, and now she was leaning over him.

He felt like he was going to suffocate. The touch felt so disgusting and so sinful. Then her hair was removed and he could hear her heavy breathing again. He almost felt relieved but it was short lived when fingers descended upon his face. Slowly, each finger was retracted until one lone one lingered. The digit trailed from the base of his chin to his closed eyelid. She paused, leaving her finger on his eyelid. Kyo was frightened. What was she doing? In the recess of his mind, Kyo felt as if he deserved this – this torture. Before he could think farther, he felt pressure being added. She was pushing her finger down, applying great force through his small finger. There was so much pressure that her hand shook. He wanted to scream but every attempt died in his throat. As her finger pushed farther onto his eyelid, he could hear the fluid of his eyes sloshing and breaking from the applied pressure. Then she stopped; the pressure was replaced with a rhythmic motion of her finger circling his eyelid almost as if she was massaging it. The sudden gentleness was frightening. It was such a fallacy of her true nature. Her finger moved toward the entrance of his eyes and skimmed his eyelashes gently. He felt her nail slide underneath his eyelid and skim his eyeball. Her nail was cracked and uneven, she could cut his eyes open if not infect it. Perhaps, it was already infected. He was paralyzed. She was tired of the little entrance, she wanted more. Instead of prying his eyelids open to touch the rest of his eye's surface, she made sure it remained closed by mounting two more fingers on each corner of his eyelid. She added pressure to each corner, locking his eyelid close as she pushed her finger within the cavern of his eye socket. The pain was excruciating, he could feel his eyelid stretching to unimaginable lengths as her finger moved underneath it. The pressure on his eyeball was back, but this time there was no outer protection. Her nail raked his eyeball and Kyo was sure that he heard something tare. It was the soft tissue of his eyelid or his eye splitting open, he didn't know. Both hurt too much to know which tore. It probably won't matter anyway. They will probably both be mutated in the end anyway. He screamed, his voice finally vocalizing.

* * *

A/N: I am really grateful to those who reviewed! Special thanks to BuddyBug for the constructive criticism! Thank you so much and because of your words I got myself a Beta. I hope you enjoyed the eye scene. Unfortunately, my wonderful beta wasn't able to beta this chapter. She's been busy lately and since I really wanted to update this week, I updated. Hopefully, she will be able to beta my chapter next week.

Anyway, adipocere is the breaking down of the fatty skin layer after somebody dies. It's pretty gross. It happens a lot to bodies who have been submerged in water. Go look at some pictures but you have been warned. Also, frothing from the mouth is a sign that the victim was alive when they died (in water/drowned).

Oh, yes, the whole scene with the boy in the cabinet was supposed to be the meat of my last chapter. I hope you guys weren't disappointed.

Anyway, please R&R. Reviews inspire me and make me happy. No flames please.

3/15/13


	5. Chapter 5 A Little Powwow

Hi there! So it's been four months since I updated this story but I have not given up on this story! I actually have an outline for this story, but I just haven't been feeling too inspired to write lately. But once my muse strikes me again, I will definitely update this one! After all, horror was my first love.

As some of you can see, some of my other writing has been taking awhile to update as well.

I promise that I will update this eventually. I can't promise that it will be soon though, but I will try.

I hope you guys will continue to support me! I would like to thank those who have favorited, reviewed, and followed. They inspire me and make me so happy.

Once I do update, I will take this down.

That's it for now. Hopefully, I will see you guys soon.

-Happy Readings! ^^


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